Toy vehicle intersection with elevational adjustment

Abstract

An intersection adapted for engagement with a toy racetrack to provide an combination jump and overcrossing intersection for vehicles traversing the racetrack. The device features first and second supports engageable with inline pairs of track thereby forming two pathways across a jump formed by a gap in the middle of the device. The first support is in a translatable engagement with the second support between a first position where vehicles crossing the gap at the same time would collide and a second position forming a second path where vehicles jumping the gap are on different trajectories.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to the field of toy car tracks. More particularly it relates to the intersections used as crossovers used in figure-eight and other car race tracks where the roadway traversed by the toy vehicles crosses over itself. The device provides a user adjustable intersection to allow vehicles traveling the roadway to crash at the intersection or pass adjacent to each other at different elevations.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Toy vehicles such as toy cars which engage and move about toy race tracks are well known in the art. Many such toy vehicle sets with cars and tracks have been produced for kids and adults alike in the last century. Such toy vehicle sets generally use some sort of electrical or mechanical acceleration means to provide power to the toy vehicle on the roadway forming the racetrack to allow them to circumnavigate the track and to allow kids and adults alike to race their respective vehicles. One type, generally known fo...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]The device, when adjusted to the second position, places the two entry points of the intersection at different levels while concurrently keeping the respective landing sections of the respective roadways at the correct elevation to provide the best landing for vehicles traversing the gap in a jump from their respective entry points to avoid bouncing on the landing on the roadway. Consequently, toy vehicles jumping the intersection will do so, crossing at different elevations, and their trajectory across the gap will be at different elevations. However, both pathways of the two jumping vehicles will have their respective landing zones located in relation to their entry points, to allow for a smooth landing of the jumping vehicles.

[0014]Once engaged with the track pieces forming the roadway of the race track, the device need not be disengaged from the race track to adjust from the crash position to the pass position. Instead, it may be raised or lowered with the track engaged with all four co-operating edges and provide the user the ability to go from a crash setting to a pass setting easily and without any time consuming disassembly. Still further, in a current preferred embodiment, the device is formed of two co-operatively engaged cylindrical base portions which allows for the adjustment of the angle by rotation of the engagement of the two pieces, thereby changing the angle of the intersection formed by the device at the crossover point.

[0015]An object of this invention is the provision of a toy car intersection which provides a jump for the toy cars to traverse.

[0016]Another object of this invention is the provision of such a toy vehicle track intersection which is easily adjustable from a position encouraging crashes between the traversing vehicles to a position where such collisions are avoided.

[0017]An additional object of this invention is the provision of such a toy vehicle track intersection which provides the proper elevation of both approaching roadways above or below the landing section of the roadways in either the crash encouraging position or the crash avoidance position.

[0018]Yet another object of this invention is the provision of a toy vehicle track intersection that need not be detached to adjust from the crash to the pass position and allows for an adjustment of the angles of the crossover of the two lanes.

Problems solved by technology

However, tracks with figure eight crossovers typically cannot be changed to avoid collisions at the interception if desired.

Further, elevational crossovers cannot be used to provide for intersecting paths for the vehicles to simulate a crash.

Such changes are time consuming and require the user to buy a plurality of different parts to assemble the intersections and jumps which increases cost and also decreases play time when adapting from one track configuration to another.

However, Ostendorff as taught is not adaptable for race tracks since the crashed vehicle hits stationary vehicles at an intersection.

Halford is also not adaptable for racetrack type simulations since the toy vehicles are unable to circumnavigate a track but only proceed from a start to the intersection and there is no return to the start.

However, Copson provides no jumps to traverse nor does it provide any means to adjust the intersections to avoid collisions if such a racetrack is desired by the participants.

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